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1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the purpose of and need for conventional rail improvements 

on California’s existing Coast Corridor rail alignment, with a focus on the portion

between Salinas and San Luis Obispo intended to enable expanded passenger rail 

service on the entire Coast Corridor (from San Francisco to Los Angeles).

Figure 1-1 shows the entire length of the 470-mile-long Coast Corridor rail line. 

The Coast Corridor rail line consists of three segments: 

 Northern Segment - 77 miles from San Francisco to Gilroy, also known as the 

Caltrain Corridor

 Middle Segment - 171 miles from Gilroy to San Luis Obispo - inclusive of the 

entirety of the project area considered in this document (Salinas - San Luis 

Obispo)

 Southern Segment - 222 miles from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles. 

Corresponds to the northern half of the Pacific Surfliner Corridor, also known as 

the LOSSAN Corridor1

The entire Coast Corridor spans eight counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, 

San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Monterey, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco. 

The Coast Corridor serves as a transportation link between Los Angeles and the San 

Francisco Bay Area. This corridor is also served by air and highway systems. In 

terms of seat capacity, the most heavily traveled air route in the US connects Los 

 

1

The LOSSAN Corridor is a 351 mile long intercity and commuter rail corridor, stretching from San 

Diego in the south, up to San Luis Obispo County. Currently a programmatic EIS/EIR is underway for 

LOSSAN North (the segment of the LOSSAN Corridor between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo 

Counties).
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1.0 Purpose and Need Draft Program EIS/EIR

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Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. Additional 

heavily traveled air routes spanning the corridor serve the Oakland, San José, 

Burbank and Long Beach airports.2

Interstate 5 (I-5) in the Central Valley – east of the corridor – serves as the main 

highway transportation system connecting the two dominant metropolitan regions 

at either end of the corridor. US Highway 101 (US 101) is the secondary north-south 

connector route between the Bay Area and Los Angeles regions. US Highway 1 (US 

1) serves local access and recreational travel through Monterey and San Luis Obispo 

Counties (particularly between Carmel on the north and Morro Bay to the south). In 

addition to these north-south routes, several state routes provide east-west access 

from the US 101 corridor to the Pacific Coast and or Central Valley (State Routes 68, 

46, 41 and 198). 

While travel between the ends of the Coast Corridor today is facilitated 

predominantly by air and automobile, rail plays an increasingly important role in 

corridor mobility. Current passenger rail services in the corridor include: 

 Pacific Surfliner intercity service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego,

operated by Amtrak and funded by Caltrans

 Coast Starlight long distance service between Seattle and Los Angeles, operated

and funded by Amtrak

 Capitol Corridor intercity service between Placer and Santa Clara Counties, for 

which a planned service extension to Salinas (by 2019) has completed

environmental review and is currently in design/engineering work3

 Metrolink Ventura County Line commuter rail service, sharing the same route as 

Pacific Surfliner trains between Los Angeles Union Station and Oxnard, with 

additional service to East Ventura Station in Ventura

 Caltrain commuter rail service between San Francisco and Gilroy

California High-Speed Rail (CA HSR) represents an emerging passenger rail service. 

By 2029, the system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under 

 

2

Additional smaller airports exist along the Corridor; those listed are the 4 next largest regional 

airports.

3

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) certified an EIR for the Salinas Rail Extension 

project in 2006 and subsequently adopted a CEQA Addendum for the proposed extension of commuter 

rail service from San Jose to Salinas. These environmental documents identify proposed physical 

improvements associated with the planned rail extension. Such improvements would occur between 

San Jose and Salinas. At present, no NEPA documentation has been completed for this project, but 

would be required if federal funding were proposed to implement any of the proposed improvements. 
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Draft Program EIS/EIR 1.0 Purpose and Need

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three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. The system will 

eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24

stations. While the bulk of the CA HSR alignment will traverse the San Joaquin 

Valley, the Coast Corridor as a whole will provide several connection points to the 

proposed high speed rail system. None of these potential Coast Corridor/CA HSR 

connection points are in the Salinas to San Luis Obispo corridor that is the subject of 

this Program EIS/EIR. To the north, the closest major connection points would be 

Diridon Station in San José and the Gilroy Caltrain Station. To the south, the closest 

connection points would be Los Angeles Union Station and Burbank Airport. 

Corridor freight rail services are operated by Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), 

providing service that roughly parallels the Interstate 5/US 101 corridors between 

the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Currently, the Coast Corridor carries low levels of 

freight traffic and is primarily considered a “secondary” or “relief” line to the much 

busier Central Valley line to the east. The Coast Corridor does not see any 

containerized traffic, but does carry bulk commodities such as fertilizer, lumber, 

aggregate, fuel, and coal.

In addition, there is some activity related to repositioning empty rail cars from the 

Port of Oakland to Southern California to balance the inbound/outbound disparity 

of goods traffic. Coast Corridor freight rail service provides access to Port Hueneme 

in Ventura County, the only deep-water port between the adjacent Ports of Long 

Beach/Los Angeles and Oakland. Port-related cargo includes a mix of agricultural 

products and bulk commodities. 

As of 2014, San Luis Obispo County is considering a proposal to extend a rail spur to 

the Phillips 66 Nipomo Mesa oil refinery in unincorporated San Luis Obispo County

so that crude oil could be delivered to the refinery via rail. The refinery is

approximately 20 miles south of the City of San Luis Obispo and thus outside the 

corridor considered here. Up to 5 trains of 80 cars per week are anticipated. Trains 

are proposed to arrive at the refinery from points north (including Utah, North 

Dakota, and Canada) via the Coast Corridor. 
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1.2 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR IMPROVED 

INTERCITY RAIL TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN 

SALINAS AND SAN LUIS OBISPO

1.2.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the proposed rail improvements to the Coast Corridor is to enhance 

safety and develop a faster and more reliable passenger and freight rail system that 

provides added capacity in response to increased travel demand between Los 

Angeles and San Francisco and the intermediate cities along the US 101 corridor. 

The existing capacity of the Corridor’s transportation system is insufficient to meet 

existing and future demand, and the current and projected future system 

congestion will continue to result in reduced reliability, slower travel speeds, 

increased travel times, and deteriorated air quality. In addition to providing new 

direct passenger rail service, another purpose of the proposed rail improvements is 

to foster improved rail connectivity to the proposed California High-Speed Rail 

system.

The greater Coast Corridor region from San Francisco to Los Angeles faces significant 

mobility challenges today, further detailed below. These challenges apply to the 

portion of the Coast Corridor between Salinas and San Luis Obispo and are likely to 

continue in the future as continued growth in population, employment, and tourism 

activity is expected to generate increased travel demand. By 2040, statewide 

population is expected to grow substantially, further straining the existing 

transportation network. An effective rail system is necessary to meet the future 

mobility needs of residents, businesses, and visitors.

In light of the transportation challenges listed above, Caltrans and the Coast Rail 

Coordinating Council, a partnership of local transportation planning agencies (more 

info at slocog.org) have identified a number of potential rail improvements to the 

Coast Corridor that are individually and collectively intended to improve mobility 

and reliability in this congested part of the state’s rail system. This slate of potential

improvements includes individual projects that would contribute, individually 

and/or collectively, to creating a more reliable, safe, competitive, and attractive 

intercity travel option. 

The proposed increase in intercity passenger rail service would also allow flexibility 

for passengers who may prefer other means of transportation over automobiles. 

Such an increase in service would provide additional transportation system capacity 

that could relieve some of the projected near- and long-term demand on the
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Draft Program EIS/EIR 1.0 Purpose and Need

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highway system, potentially slowing the need to further expand highways and 

airports in this portion of the corridor, or reduce the scale of those expansions, 

including their associated cost and impacts on communities and the environment. 

Rail improvements would augment the highway system, creating an interconnected, 

multimodal solution, allowing for better mobility throughout the corridor. 

Improved rail infrastructure would contribute to the economic viability of the Coast 

Corridor and provide connectivity with local transit systems. 

An investment in rail improvements to the Coast Corridor would complement and 

support other transportation systems that currently or are planned to interface with 

the rail service. Like the Coast Corridor, the Pacific Surfliner Corridor and Capitol 

Corridor experience similar challenges regarding travel demand growth, congestion, 

and capacity constraints. Because many trips span the service of the Coast, Pacific 

Surfliner, and Capitol Corridors, improvements and upgrades would indirectly 

benefit all corridors. The Coast Corridor will connect to the future High-Speed Rail 

system at Burbank, Los Angeles, Gilroy, and San Jose, offering a feeder service to

passengers originating in counties without proposed high-speed rail stations (such 

as Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura). New 

communities will gain access to rail services with the upgrades of existing stations 

and construction of new stations that are not currently served. In all, many 

communities between San Francisco and Los Angeles will see improved 

transportation access. 

1.2.2 NEED 

The need for the proposed action stems from a number of challenges facing 

transportation along the Coast Corridor, including but not limited to the following: 

 Constrained Travel Options – While the Coast Corridor is served by a 

transportation system that includes air, highway, and rail modes, system access 

and capacity is insufficient to meet future travel demand. Air access is limited 

for many residents because major airports are located at a substantial distance 

from the Salinas to San Luis Obispo portion of the corridor. 

This portion of the corridor is served by a single major highway – US 101 – which 

experiences frequent congestion and travel delays, particularly in the San 

Francisco Bay Area and between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Both highway 

and rail operations in the corridor can be unduly affected by weather conditions 

in distant locations. For example, winter closures of I-5 at the Grapevine/Tejon 

Pass Area can divert auto traffic to US 101 because of its lower elevation passes 
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which makes it much less subject to closure. Fires or accidents along the I-5

corridor can also result in substantial diversions to US 101.

Amtrak offers a single daily Coast Starlight passenger service along the corridor. 

Trains are often delayed due to the rail system operating beyond its design 

capacity, which is primarily single-tracked between Salinas and San Luis Obispo

with few sidings of the length necessary to allow passenger trains consistent 

priority over the typically much longer freight trains. 

 Anticipated Population Growth – The entire Coast Corridor region (San Francisco 

to Los Angeles) is home to over 15 million people. By 2040, this population is 

projected to grow by approximately 32 percent –an additional five million 

people.4 While most of the existing population and projected growth is along 

the four counties outside the current project’s study area (San Francisco, San 

Mateo, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles), the four “inner” counties (Monterey, San 

Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura) serve a population of about two 

million people, projected to grow by 36 percent by the year 2040. 

 Significant Highway Congestion – While travel by automobile is expected to 

meet the majority of future travel demand, anticipated increases in automobile 

use will result in worsening of existing congestion. Congestion is particularly 

acute within the corridor’s urban areas and will worsen, making travel times 

unreliable. 

 Constrained Rail System Capacity – The existing Coast Starlight service is often 

fully booked during peak travel periods. Current passenger service is further 

constrained by a largely single-track railroad with few sidings of the length 

necessary to accommodate the longer freight trains. Consequently, passenger 

trains can experience substantial delays which would only worsen in the event 

of higher levels of freight traffic. 

 Aging Rail Infrastructure – Investment in corridor rail service has not kept pace 

with population and travel demand growth. Particularly within the Salinas to 

San Luis Obispo portion of the corridor, many tracks, signals, and bridges have 

not been upgraded or improved in decades – and in some cases are over 100 

years old. Aging infrastructure in need of maintenance or replacement can 

result in a decrease in operating safety and can impede trains from operating at 

top speeds. Aging infrastructure if not properly maintained can therefore 

translate to longer travel times and decrease the attractiveness of rail as a 

transportation option. 

 

4

Caltrans Division of Rail. 2013b, p. 2-5
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 Safety –Although rail travel is one of the safest modes of transportation in the 

nation (particularly relative to automobile travel). Rail traffic congestion and 

aging infrastructure in poor condition can be contributing factors in accidents. 

According to data compiled by FRA, for fiscal year 2013, 34 percent of all train 

accidents nationwide were related to signal or track failures. Another 39 

percent of all accidents during that same time period were related to human 

factors.5 And according to data compiled by FRA’s Office of Safety Analysis, a 

substantial number of accidents between 2005 and 2014 in Monterey and San 

Luis Obispo Counties were related to track conditions (including derailments) 

and human factors (which relates to older signaling systems). Given the age and 

condition of the Coast Corridor infrastructure, whose signaling system is heavily 

dependent on human factors, there is substantial potential for accidents along 

this single-tracked corridor. Whether or not any of the Build Alternative 

improvements move forward, corridor safety is expected to be enhanced by the 

implementation of Positive Train Control by December 2015.6 This analysis 

assumes that given requirements set forth in the Rail Safety Improvement Act, 

the railroad owner (UPRR) will install and primarily fund the installation of PTC, 

with Amtrak sharing expenses for existing service. 

 Need to reduce Air Pollutant Emissions from Mobile Sources – Existing air quality 

in most coastal portions of California is considered to be poor to deteriorating.

The affected air basins are in non-attainment with state standards for ozone and 

PM10, both of which are heavily linked to mobile sources (cars and trucks). 

Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) would have substantial benefits in 

reducing air pollutant emission and improving air quality in the region. 

Increasing rail travel capacity could reduce VMT and air pollutant emissions by 

shifting automobile travel to a more environmentally efficient mode.

7

By 

fostering connectivity to the proposed California High-Speed Rail Project, rail 

improvements for the Coast Corridor will further help expand travel capacity in 

a more environmentally sensitive manner than via roadway expansion or “shorthop” air flights. 

 

5

FRA, 2014, p. 2. 

6

PTC systems are integrated command, control, communications, and information systems for 

controlling train movements with safety, security, precision, and efficiency.

7

FRA 2010. 
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1.3 ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL TIERING

SLOCOG and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have mutually commenced 

this environmental review process to comply with federal and state laws, in 

particular the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 USC § 432, et 

seq.) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (California Public 

Resources Code § 21000, et seq.). 

NEPA requires federal agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for proposed actions that have the potential to cause significant adverse 

environmental impacts. Because of possible FRA actions regarding potential rail 

system improvements, FRA is the lead federal agency, working with SLOCOG as the 

lead state agency, for the environmental review required by NEPA and related 

statutes. FRA has further determined that the preparation of a program-level (Tier 

1) EIS for the proposed rail improvements is the appropriate NEPA document 

because of the comprehensive nature and scope of the corridor improvements 

proposed to date and the conceptual stage of planning and decision-making. Any 

future decisions related to advancing and ultimately constructing the proposed rail 

improvements may constitute a federal action if federal funding or other federal 

permits are required and may thus require additional project-level environmental 

review under NEPA. Other federal agencies in addition to FRA may also rely on 

these project-level environmental reviews to support future decision making. In 

preparing this environmental document, FRA has coordinated with the US 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the 

US Army, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the United States Forest 

Service (USFS). 

The proposed rail corridor improvements are also subject to environmental review 

under CEQA. SLOCOG is both the project sponsor and the lead agency for purposes 

of CEQA compliance. SLOCOG has identified the Caltrans Division of Rail and 

Transportation Agency for Monterey County as key responsible agencies. SLOCOG 

determined that a program environmental impact report (EIR) is the appropriate 

CEQA document for this project at this conceptual stage of planning and decisionmaking. 

No permits will be sought in this phase of environmental review. If the Build

Alternative is selected at the conclusion of the Program EIS/EIR process, one or 

more of the physical improvements may be carried forward for detailed design and, 

if necessary, any project-level environmental review and permits will be sought at 

that time. 
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This document is being prepared as a combined Program EIS/EIR for compliance 

with both NEPA and CEQA. The Program EIS/EIR will enable public agencies to 

evaluate the broad environmental effects of the proposed rail improvements, 

evaluate the improvements against the No Build Alternative, and determine which 

elements of the Build Alternative, if any, to carry forward. 

The required contents of a Program EIS/EIR are the same as those of a project-level 

document. However, the level of detail provided in the two types of documents is 

different. This program level document evaluated the potential environmental 

effects of the alternatives based on a general design of the proposed program. 

Future project-level environmental reviews will be based on detailed and sitespecific engineering and design data. 

A Program EIS/EIR is an informational document intended to analyze and to disclose 

to the public and to public decision-makers the environmental effects and benefits 

of a proposed program and its alternatives. The preparation, circulation, and review 

of a draft Program EIS/EIR provides for the evaluation of alternatives, including a No 

Build Alternative; the assessment of all significant/adverse environmental impacts; 

identification of the appropriate measures to mitigate potential impacts; and the 

opportunity for public input and comments to help inform the decision-making 

process. 

This program-level document has been prepared to allow the lead agencies to 

consider a future program of improvements to the Salinas to San Luis Obispo 

portion of the Coast Corridor and to provide information to decide between the No 

Build Alternative and the Build Alternative. The Build Alternative may include some 

or all of the service and physical improvements assessed in this environmental 

document. As full funding for all improvements is not available at present, the most 

likely scenario is that proposed improvements would be constructed in phases. 

Exact phasing is contingent on what improvements are prioritized for detailed, 

construction-level design, funding availability, and further environmental review. As 

described in Chapter 3 of this document, this would include site-specific studies as 

well as agency coordination, specific measures to avoid or minimize impacts, and an 

approved mitigation plan. 

FRA has authority to regulate the safety of railroads, including the proposed project,

under 49 United States Code (USC) 20101 et seq. FRA also manages certain financial 

assistance programs for rail capital investments, for which this project may be 

eligible. 
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1.4 RELATIONSHIP TO CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED 

RAIL

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), established in 1996, proposes 

to implement high-speed rail service that would run from the San Diego, Orange 

County, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas north through California’s Central 

Valley to the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento regions. FRA and the 

Authority have completed two Programmatic EIS/EIRs and project-level EIS/EIRs are 

underway for all segments of the proposed California High-Speed service, two of 

which has been completed and certified (Merced to Fresno and Fresno to 

Bakersfield).

In addition, the Authority applied for and was selected to receive funding under 

FRA’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program. The Authority and FRA have 

entered into a cooperative agreement and will complete the necessary project-level 

environmental analysis and preliminary engineering for all segments, as well as for 

the final design and construction of an operable segment in California’s Central

Valley. These funds are being made available through the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Department of Transportation and Housing and 

Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2010. 

As shown in Figure 1-2, the proposed high-speed rail system will have multiple 

connections to the Coast Corridor, including major connection points at Los Angeles 

Union Station and Burbank Airport to the south and San Jose Diridon and San 

Francisco to the north (all of which are outside the Salinas to San Luis Obispo 

segment being studied here. However, these connection points, as well as a 

secondary connection in Gilroy, will enable travelers originating from the Central 

Coast region (Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties) to 

gain rail access to the statewide high-speed rail system. The Coast Corridor can 

serve as a feeder to the high-speed rail system, particularly if the Coast Corridor 

sees increased passenger service.

1.5 ISSUES RAISED DURING SCOPING

The FRA initiated the formal scoping process by publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI)

to prepare a Program EIS/EIR in the Federal Register on August 17, 2012. 

Table 1-1 summarizes when the two public scoping meetings were held as part of 

the public scoping process.
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Table 1-1 Public Scoping Meetings

Salinas San Luis Obispo

Transportation Agency for Monterey County San Luis Obispo City/County Library

55-B Plaza Circle 995 Palm Street

August 28, 2012 August 29, 2012

3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m

These meetings provided an opportunity for the public and agencies to comment on 

the scope of environmental topics that will be analyzed in the Program EIS/EIR. 

Approximately 25 members of the public attended the scoping meetings. 

Appendix A includes all comments received during scoping. Issues raised included 

questions about the viability of the project in terms of funding, concerns about the 

current use of some existing sidings as long-term “parking” or storage for train cars, 

anticipated operating characteristics and costs of expanded passenger service, and 

the range of physical improvements to be contemplated in the environmental 

document. 

In addition to the formal scoping meetings, SLOCOG conducted outreach to 

potentially affected agencies and organizations in preparing this document. 

Chapter 5.0, Comments and Coordination, identifies agencies consulted. 
1-1

Figure Coast Corridor

Source: California State Rail Plan, 2013

Coast Corridor Improvements EIR/EIS Coast Corridor Service Development Plan May 2013 

Page 1-2 

Exhibit 1.1: Coast Corridor 

 
1-2

Figure State Rail System

Source: CAlifornia State Rail Plan, 2013

Coast Corridor Improvements EIR/EIS 2013 California State Rail Plan 

Executive Summary May 2013 

Exhibit ES.4: Proposed New Passenger Rail Routes and Current Route Extensions 

6RXUFHV (VUL&DOWUDQV

Page ES-10
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